Ford Money

Ford Money is a UK savings brand: it takes deposits and pays interest, and it does not offer current accounts, credit cards, loans or mortgages. It sells three kinds of savings product, an easy access account, a fixed rate account and cash ISAs, and every one of them is opened and run online¹. There are no branches to visit and no cheques to pay in.

The accounts are simple by design. You need to be aged 16 or over and hold a UK bank account to save with Ford Money, and to open an ISA you also need to be a UK resident taxpayer with a National Insurance number¹. Every account is tied to a single nominated bank account, called your Connected Bank Account, and money moves between the two. Deposits show in your Ford Money account within 4 hours, including weekends and bank holidays, and withdrawals requested before 1pm on a working day reach your Connected Bank Account by close of business the same day¹.

Savings with Ford Money are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, up to £120,000 per eligible depositor across all Ford Money accounts, or £120,000 each for joint account holders². The sections below cover each product, who can open one, how to apply, how money moves in and out, what happens when a fixed term ends, and how to complain.

Ford Money savings accounts and ISAs

Ford Money's range splits into accounts that let you get at your money and accounts that lock it away for a set term. The Flexible Saver is the easy access option, opened and managed online, with money moved in from your Connected Account or from an existing Ford Money account³. The Fixed Saver is the fixed term option, also opened and managed online, and it can be held as a joint or solo account². The Regular Saver is a monthly saving account, open to all savers, funded from a Connected Bank Account or an existing Ford Money account, and only one Regular Saver Account can be opened⁵.

On the ISA side there are two products. The Flexible Cash ISA is the easy access ISA, with unlimited penalty-free withdrawals and deposits, and withdrawals within the same tax year keep your ISA allowance intact⁶. The Fixed Cash ISA is the fixed term ISA, opened and managed online, with interest paid yearly or monthly into the ISA itself, another Ford Money savings account you hold, or your Connected Bank Account⁷.

ISAs are the tax-advantaged version of a savings account. There are four types of ISA in the UK: cash ISAs, stocks and shares ISAs, innovative finance ISAs and lifetime ISAs⁸. Ford Money sells cash ISAs only. If you are weighing up whether a cash ISA suits you better than an ordinary savings account, our guide to ISAs sets out how the allowance works, and the savings accounts guide covers the wider market.

Who can open a Ford Money account

The basic rule is simple: you need to be aged 16 or over and hold a UK bank account to save with Ford Money¹. For an ISA the bar is higher, at 18 or over, and you must be a UK resident taxpayer with a National Insurance number¹.

Joint accounts are available on some products. The Fixed Saver can be held jointly or solo², and the Flexible Saver allows a joint account so long as the other person is aged 16 or over³. On a joint account, only one account holder can register on the same device in the mobile app, for security reasons⁹. If one applicant passes the identity and residency checks and the other does not, Ford Money cannot authorise the account until the unsuccessful applicant has been verified⁹.

It is worth knowing how joint accounts behave generally before opening one. Both holders can manage the account and withdraw cash, and either person can take out whatever money they want from it¹⁰. That is convenient for household saving, but it means the money is not ring-fenced to one person's share.

How to open an account and verify your identity

Applications are made online and take around 10 minutes if you have your information to hand¹. You will need to prove your identity and your address, and Ford Money requires the information you provide for each to come from different sources¹.

Acceptable documents include a current, valid UK or EU passport for identity; a non-EU or non-UK passport needs satisfactory evidence of an indefinite right to reside in the UK. A UK or Northern Ireland driving licence is accepted for both identity and address. Utility bills and bank statements dated within the last 3 months are accepted for address, as are a State Pension Statement from the last 6 months and HMRC tax notifications or benefit confirmations from the last 12 months, though not a P45 or P60⁹.

For applicants under 18, a birth certificate and a Child Benefit letter from a parent are acceptable for identity, and a National Insurance number confirmation letter or a Student Loan Statement dated within the last 12 months is acceptable for address⁹.

Once the account is open, your welcome pack should arrive no later than five working days after applying¹. You then need to make your initial deposit within 21 calendar days from the date Ford Money receives your application. If the funds do not arrive in that window, the account is closed and you have to reapply⁹.

Paying in: the Connected Bank Account rule

Ford Money works on a closed loop. All deposits into your account must come from your Connected Bank Account, and any transaction you try to make from a different account will be rejected¹. You nominate that account when you open your Ford Money account, and it is the only route in and out.

The methods accepted are bank transfers or CHAPS payments, and Ford Money does not accept cheques¹. Your own bank may charge you for using CHAPS⁹. Ford Money uses Barclays as a clearing bank, which affects how transactions are processed¹.

There is also an authentication step to complete. Apart from making deposits, you cannot make any withdrawals from your new Ford Money account until you have completed it⁹. Deposits themselves are quick: money should be visible in your Ford Money account within 4 hours, and that applies at weekends and on bank holidays¹. If a deposit is rejected, Ford Money returns it to the account it came from within two business days of receiving it¹.

Withdrawals and transfers: how long they take

Withdrawals from Ford Money's easy access accounts are same-day if you ask early enough. A request made before 1pm on a working day, Monday to Friday, reaches your Connected Bank Account by close of business the same day. A request made after 1pm arrives by close of business the next working day, excluding public and seasonal holidays¹.

Transfers between Ford Money accounts are faster still. If you move money to another eligible Ford Money account before 5pm on a business day, it is available in the destination account the same day¹.

The app's Move Money function is not available on a Fixed Saver or Fixed Cash ISA, because those products do not permit access during the term¹. On the Flexible Cash ISA, withdrawals are unlimited and penalty-free, and a withdrawal made within the same tax year does not use up your ISA allowance⁶.

If you close an account during the cooling off period, Ford Money says the closure can take up to 5 working days to action¹. Each of the fixed products carries a 14 calendar day cooling off period running from the date your first deposit shows in the account².

ISA transfers in and out of Ford Money

You can move an existing cash ISA into a Ford Money ISA, and the process differs slightly by product. For the Flexible Cash ISA you can ask to transfer current or previous ISA savings in during the application, or use a downloadable transfer form if you already hold a Cash ISA with Ford Money⁶. Transfers in for a Flexible Cash ISA can take place at any time¹.

For a Fixed Cash ISA the window is tighter: the transfer in must be completed within 21 calendar days from the date Ford Money receives your application¹. Transfers from existing cash ISAs usually take 15 business days to show in your account⁶. Ford Money notes that ISA transfers may take up to 15 days to reach your account depending on your provider¹.

Moving an ISA out works the other way round. You contact the new provider to request the transfer, not Ford Money¹. The Flexible Cash ISA can be transferred to another provider at any time without charge⁶. If you hold a Fixed Cash ISA, a term breakage may apply, so it is worth checking the product terms before instructing a transfer¹.

The tax rules on transfers are worth knowing. Funds invested in a stocks and shares ISA can only be transferred to another stocks and shares ISA, while funds in a cash ISA can be transferred to a stocks and shares ISA or another cash ISA¹¹. Our ISAs guide explains the allowance and the transfer rules in full.

What happens when a fixed account matures

Ford Money contacts you around 30 days before a Fixed Cash ISA reaches the end of its fixed term, to let you know what options are available⁷. At maturity on a Fixed Saver you normally have the choice to withdraw your savings, reinvest in another Ford Money Fixed Saver, reinvest in a different Ford Money product, or any combination of those².

If you do nothing, the money does not sit idle. Ford Money automatically moves your funds into a default product, which in most circumstances is the same as your maturing product¹. For a Fixed Cash ISA, if Ford Money has not heard from you by the maturity date it offers another term of the same or similar length, starting automatically at the end of the fixed term⁷. The Fixed Saver works the same way².

You can change your maturity instructions up until 48 hours before the maturity date, at which point your choices are finalised. If you make a change, you need to wait 24 hours before making another¹. Once the money is on the default product, a 14 day cooling off period applies from the maturity date, so you can still request closure as part of your right to cancel¹.

There is one more window to note. If you reinvest at maturity into a new fixed rate account, you have 21 days from the new account opening to make further investments¹.

Managing your account in the Ford Money app

Ford Money accounts are opened and managed online, and the mobile app is the main way to see and move your money¹. You will need a compatible phone running iOS 15 and above or Android 11 and above¹. The app itself is free, though your standard mobile network data charges apply if you are not on Wi-Fi¹.

To sign in you use your Customer ID, a 10-character alpha-numeric code issued at the time of application, combined with your password and memorable details¹. During the application you choose three memorable pieces of information: a date, a place and a name that are memorable to you but not easily guessable by others⁹.

In the app you can see a list of all transaction activity on an account over the past 12 months, as well as any pending transactions¹. The Move Money function lets you shift funds between eligible Ford Money accounts and out to your Connected Bank Account, though it is not available on the Fixed Saver or Fixed Cash ISA¹.

Complaints and accessible support

Ford Money's UK-based support team answers Monday to Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm, excluding bank holidays¹. If you want to make a complaint, contact the customer service team first by telephone, email or post, quoting your Customer ID or account number⁴. Once a complaint is resolved, Ford Money issues a letter confirming the resolution within three working days⁴.

If you are not happy with the outcome, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to consumers. Complaints can be sent through the ombudsman's website using an online form that guides you through the information needed¹². The ombudsman's opening times are 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday¹³.

Complaints about banking services are common, and the ombudsman publishes data on them. In the first quarter of 2026/27 it recorded 377 complaints about deposits and savings accounts excluding cash ISAs, and 2,305 about electronic money¹⁴. In the first half of 2025, FCE Bank Plc, the firm behind Ford Money, had 10,466 new cases¹⁵.

Accessibility matters here because Ford Money is an online-only operation. The ombudsman has noted that complaints about reduced in-person services often concern access to cash withdrawals, services only available face to face such as removing a security block or verifying identification, and access limited to specific branches¹⁶. Ford Money's complaints leaflet is available in Braille, audio and large print, and Mini Com users can contact the firm on 0345 266 1231⁴. Scope publishes guidance on accessible banking and financial services for disabled customers¹⁷.

How your savings with Ford Money are protected

Deposits with Ford Money are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK's statutory safety net for bank deposits¹⁸. The scheme covers current accounts, savings accounts, cash ISAs and savings bonds¹⁸. Ford Money states that protection runs to £120,000 per eligible depositor across all Ford Money accounts, or £120,000 each for joint account holders².

That limit is per banking licence, not per account, so it is worth knowing which brands share one. Ford Money is a trading name of FCE Bank plc, and the FCA register lists the firm's current trading names as Ford Credit Britain, Ford Credit, FCE Bank, F C E, Ford Pay, Ford Money, Ford Lease, Ford Insure, Ford Financial, Ford Credit Europe, WWTF and Worldwide Trade Finance⁴. Money held across those names counts towards the same limit.

Most FSCS payouts are made quickly, but the scheme says reimbursements for temporary high balance claims, and for accounts where the beneficial owner of the funds is not obvious, such as money held under trust arrangements, can take up to three months.

If you hold more than that in total, spreading it across institutions with separate licences is the usual way to stay within the limit.